Tuesday, 10 May 2016

Royals to Attend Heads Together Launch, Tour Poll Winners, an Overseas Trip Later This Year? & More

First up this evening, news of an upcoming engagement. As expected, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry will attend the launch of Heads Together - their exciting new campaign to end the stigma surrounding mental health - next Monday, 16 May at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The Palace described the event as "an opportunity for Their Royal Highnesses to outline their personal interest in establishing the campaign, and will set an ambitious target of what they want Heads Together to achieve".

More from the press release:

'Through this campaign, Their Royal Highnesses are keen to build on the great work that is already taking place across the country, to ensure that people feel comfortable with their everyday mental wellbeing, feel able to support their friends and families through difficult times, and that stigma no longer prevents people getting help they need.

They are privileged to be working with partner charities who have achieved so much in tackling stigma, raising awareness, and providing vital help for people with mental health challenges. Those charities are: Best Beginnings, CALM – The Campaign Against Living Miserably, Contact (a military mental health coalition), Mind, Place2Be, The Mix, and YoungMinds.'

The royals will be joined by beneficiaries, campaigners and ambassadors from the mental health charities involved in the initiative. It should be a very interesting event and we should find out further information on the hopes, aims and goals for Heads Together.

Speaking of when we'll see Kate next - celebrations for Her Majesty's 90th birthday will continue "in the private grounds of Windsor Castle on the evenings of 12th – 15th May 2016. Visitors can expect to enjoy a spectacular programme of music, song, dance and equestrian displays. Each evening the event will be attended by a member of the Royal family, with HM the Queen attending on the final evening." The final night will be televised, airing on ITV at 8.35 pm. A host of stars and high-profile names will perform.

Whilst the Cambridges have only recently returned from their tour of India and Bhutan, speculation is already brewing regarding the location of their reported overseas trip later this year. It's important to stress all reports are purely speculative and there's absolutely nothing confirmed by the Palace yet. Nonetheless it's interesting to look at possibilities. I asked around and Canada has cropped up more than once as a potential spot for later this year. The Duke and and Duchess carried out their first overseas trip there just months after the royal wedding in 2011. It would be very special indeed to see them return five years later, and perhaps with George and Charlotte. Prince Harry travelled to Toronto last week and met Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Could the potential trip have arose in conversation?

The other possibility beginning to do the news rounds is the 2016 Olympics in Brazil. The Duke and Duchess and Prince Harry were official London 2012 ambassadors, attending an array of events during the games. All three are passionately interested in sports and if would be wonderful to see members of the Royal family cheering on British teams and athletes as they prepare to compete in the games in August.

We should expect to hear more in the coming months.

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In other news, the Duchess shared a message celebrating the tenth anniversary of First News, a newspaper aimed at young people.

First News

In the message HRH wrote:

"I would like to wish everyone at First News, and all of your readers, my congratulations on your tenth anniversary edition. You are doing such an important job ensuring that young people are informed about current events and issues. Through my work with organisations supporting children and young people, I have seen the importance of giving children a platform for their voices to be heard on the issues that matter most to them. Children can be affected by such a range of complex and challenging circumstances, and it is heartening to see First News covering important stories such as mental health and wellbeing in an informative and sensitive way."

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Next, we're looking at our royal tour poll results. It's been such fun looking back over the tour again and seeing your favourite selections from Kate's wardrobe. Let's take a look at your winners!

Best Evening Look

We asked you to vote for Kate's Best Evening Look shortly after the tour. This was particularly interesting because it was the first tour where we've seen a selection of gowns and evening looks, rather than just one or two. Kate chose an array of designers, styles and prints. We have a very clear winner. Receiving almost half the votes, it's the bespoke sapphire blue Jenny Packham gown with intricate beading and a matching gown. Kate styled the dress with lapis and diamond earrings by Amrapali, a clutch matching the gown, and Prada Suede Wavy Strap Sandals.

I suspected the white and blue print Naeem Khan dress Kate wore to the Taj Mahal would prove popular in the poll, and it came as no surprise to see it taking over half your votes in our Best Daywear poll. It was a fantastic look for Kate; very elegant, sophisticated and effortlessly stylish. Minimal accessories and footwear - a pair of blue earrings purchased in Bhutan, and Kate's new favourite L.K. Bennett 'Fern' Pumps - complemented the beautiful dress.

The Tory Burch 'Chrissy' Dress received the least votes. I imagine a number of factors contributed to this: the dress was only briefly worn at an airport, only a handful of low quality images were available, it was also a repeat for the Duchess, and such items tend to do poorly in polls.

Best Casual Look

We had just two options for this poll, and with 69% of the vote the Really Wild waistcoat (for those interested in Kate's specific waistcoat, if you contact the brand a few are being specially made to order), Jaeger Linen Classic Blouse, skinny jeans and Penelope Chilvers boots Kate wore for a hike to Tiger's Nest proved popular.

In second and last place, we have the RM Williams 'Gretna' Blouse, Zara biker trousers and Sebago Balas worn at Kaziranga National Park.

Best Earrings

What an incredible and varied selection of earrings we saw during the tour. We hardly ever see the Duchess without a pair of earrings to complete her look. Whilst Kate opted for a minimal approach to jewellery, she showcased multiple pairs of earrings throughout the trip. The winner of the Best Earrings poll is the Kiki McDonough "Special Edition Green Tourmaline, Green Amethyst and Diamond Earrings". They were specially made to celebrate the birth of Princess Charlotte last May.

Kiki McDonough

In second place we have another Kiki McDonough pair: the Lavender Amethyst earrings worn in Bhutan. Kate's £6 blue earrings purchased in Bhutan came in third, with fourth going to Amrapali.

Taking the final spot, we have Kate's chandelier earrings with green stones. Again, the earrings are quite an old pair and with so much competition it's difficult for them to stand out.

Thank you all so much for voting! Did your favourites win? :)

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We would like to congratulate Adrienne on winning a pair of Black Bow Gloves. Adrienne left the following comment ""LOVE the gloves in black. I would wear them this summer for weddings and a day a the races. LOVE your blog, long-time follower." If you could email me at hrhcatherineblog@hotmail.com we'll coordinate your delivery right away.

Black.co.uk

Finally, a number of readers using the mobile site have encountered issues viewing the site in its entirety. The mobile version of the site has been updated and should work properly now. Let me know if there are any issues :)

98 comments:

Thank you for the new post! I can't wait for the coming weeks,with the surge of celebration! I would love a tour in Canada, especially with the kids. I wouldn't think they would go to Brazil, with the mosquito virus there!

I'm one of those who voted for the Anna Sui dress. It wasn't my favorite evening wear, but I really liked it and I thought it was in the wrong category and would not be supported. I know it was long and was worn at night, but I think of it as a casual look. After all look at the activity; Campfire so to speak.

Please bring back the mobile view option in an easily accessible form. I suggest a large button on top to solve the scrolling issues. The new default browser view is too difficult to navigate on a mobile phone (and I'm using a gigantic iPhone 6). Scrolling down takes too long and skips over content, the font size is so small it's troublesome to read, etc. The browser view makes it so hard to access this website's amazing content on mobiles.

Also every time I go to this page on my phone now, a message comes up saying "There are problems with the security certification for this site" and the options are "go back, "View certificate" or "continue". It never did that when it was the mobile view option.

Very interesting post! You did excellent by mixing all the small bits of information!As for the tour, when I first read it I thought "No way!" but on second thought, I think it is highly possible. William and Catherine are growing within the Royal Family so their roles must be growing accordlingly. I think the Olympics is a great chance to see them, I think Zara is competing so she would like to have her family close.I can see Harry going for one week, then W & C for another week and other royals going another week, so that the Royal Family has presence in the event.The Canada Tour is a great possibility, remember the three-day tour to NYC? I'm thinki a 3-day tour to Canada would be awesome.

But all of this will depend on one thing (kind of), if reports are true that Catherine wants a third child, then she might be pregnant and who knows if she would be able to do the overseas trip.

Well that was an interesting analysis on my behalf, am I overthinking? Time will tell,

funny how we all work out the dates to see when Catherine could "start" a third baby ..... LOL if she does, I think she could try during the summer, not beeing well in autumn, and back to work for christmas .... but that's only my thoughts, fortunately the couple do as they want !

A three day tour of Canada is extremely short...our country is much bigger than NYC. ;) They would only manage to get to maybe one or two provinces. Last time they were here they came for five or six days, and they still didn't manage to get everywhere that people hoped. That said, it would be nice if they came here, if its true.

I think the baby rumour is stuff of tabloids, I haven't seen it in any credible sources. Besides, Princess Charlotte is barely 1. :) Even if she wants more, she may need some time in between the two of them - just seems too soon too me.

Emily (Canada) (as there seems to be other Emily's/Emily J's around here!)

I would've voted for the sapphire blue dress if she hadn't worn that shrug over the shoulders on her way in. Without it is really perfection I voted for the separates because like u said it is so different from what she usually wearsI really hope we see her at one of the shows at Windsor and I'll be very disappointed if we don't!

hmm love all the winners mostly part of my votes are there hmm the royal tour I would hope Canada And NYC are the best looking forward to the queen Elizabeth celebrating 90 looking forward seeing the royal trio working

Also, with all the talk of Zika, I wonder if the Royals would really go to Brazil? Major League Baseball in the U.S. just cancelled a few exhibition games in Puerto Rico because too many of the players are of child-bearing age and are concerned about passing it to their wives.

This must be really hard for all the athletes and such making the choice. You have made it to the olympics, do you go or not? For example, if Zara makes it, will she go? She is also in the middle of baby making years... I wonder how much this virus will affect the attendane of the olympics in general. That plus the politic chaos right now + general crime rates and I wonder how the games will suffer.

Even Soccer legends are saying to stay for the Olympics. http://www.tmz.com/2016/05/09/brazilian-soccer-legend-rivaldo-brazil-is-a-violent-mess-dont-come-for-olympics/It is a shame, but maybe Brazil should never been allowed to host this years Olympics.

Zika virus is really only a problem for pregnant women. It clears from the body within 3 months of exposure and there are blood tests to test for exposure and clearance. I imagine if Zara makes the team she will go and plan her pregnancy around that. My expectation would be that the three young royals would go to officially represent Britain as they are genuinely interested in sport. Possibly some of the other royals will go for some events and to watch Zara if she makes the team. I have never thought another child for Catherine is imminent. The public have made it quite clear they would not tolerate any more maternity leave.

Emily J, I think it is a bit unfair to say Brazil shouldn't have been allowed to host the Olympics this year. The decision for the host country is made years in advance and they would have no way of knowing that this particular issue would have impacted the Olympics. I don't believe it is a simple as selecting another country at the last minute either.

It is a difficult choice to make and has to boil down to personal choice. There are a lot of factors to consider if you go and if you don't go and it is a terrible position for the Olympians to have to make that choice.

Julie, I'm from Chicago area, Well over a hour south, so I really wanted Chicago to host it. But with all the drama going on there maybe it wouldn't been a good thing either...There have been more issues, not just the Zika.

Alimai, I'm not an expert on Zika, but I do believe it's more complicated than that. And if there was even a 1% chance that I could/would have a baby, I would do everything in my power to avoid being exposed to it.

Also, who is anyone to "not tolerate" a potential third pregnancy? It's a decision for W&K to make. If we can advocate freedom of speech and freedom of the press, surely we can allow a young couple to make this very personal choice.

Alimi, how sad that anyone feels "the public have made it quite clear they would not tolerate any more maternity leave". What a sad statement that the public has a right to dictate to William and Kate how many children they should have just because Kate would not be seen "working" for three to six months. What a price to pay for being the consort of a very future king. I know that a few on this blog feel that they "own" Will and Kate, but I sure do hope it is a minority that feel they can dictate to them to the degree this statement eludes.

You are absolutely correct about Zika, royalfan.It is best to err on the side of caution until more is known. There are issues such as communicable concernsand possible dormancy-which means a person can test negative and later positive.This happened recently in the UK when a healthcare worker had been cleared ofa disease and later tested positive and had a re-activation of the disease.

The Brazil situation goes beyond the Zika issue and existed before it was known. There must be a plan to insure that a country is politically, economically, and infrastructure-wise equipped to cope with such a hugeundertaking. The Olympics in Greece come to mind.

The virus has spread well-beyond Brazil.I feel for the people of Brazil.I also feel for the athletes and remember when an American President withdrewUS participation in another Olympics for other reasons- I also recall the discussion of the impact on the athletes, their families-who had often made many sacrifices, and the sponsors.It is a huge investment not just financially, but emotionally-requiring complete dedication.It may even be that some leaders of countries will step in and take thedecision away from the individuals.

23:44, I agree with you! No one wants to be the bad guy here, but this isn't just about the Olympics. Just imagine the number of countries being represented at the games...and the athletes returning home afterwards... This is a nightmare waiting to happen.

When it comes to Brazil, I would like to remind everyone that they just finished hosting the World Cup. One of the largest global sporting events. The infrastructure had to be in place for that and by all accounts it was very successful. There is no reason to believe that they won't be prepared for the Olympics. Again when they won the bid to host, the Zika issue wasn't known.

Every country has it issues. Emily J, what is going on in Chicago right now in the news with all the gun violence is truly heart breaking. I live in Atlanta and we had a bombing here when we hosted the games.

According to CNN yesterday, there was a proposal to move the Olympics but the IOC rejected that proposal and said they would carry on as planned.

Nightmare is right, royalfan! If it just involved dashing the athletes' dreams, the Olympics would be cancelled/postponed. It involves big name sponsors and big money- remember the Gulf oil spill? Someone needs to take the lead and stop this craziness. Apparently, WHO says avoid crowds and areas of poor sanitation-in Rio?People are thinking with their wallets.There are already many cities in this world with Olympic facilities alreadyin place. London, Atlanta, Sydney-a postponement to allow proper evaluation andthen re-routing. Zika is not the only problem.The virus is not just a threat to pregnant women. Men can carry and transmitthe virus and it has been associated with central nervous system disorders.

This whole thing is starting to remind me of the fable "The Emperor's New Clothes." What happened to the guy who bravely called out-"...but the Emperor isin his underwear!" Everyone else kept praising the vain man's beautiful attire.They all feared speaking up-or hoped someone else would.No, I don't think the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will attend the Rio Olympics.

Julie 14:35- good point about the World Cup and infrastructure. Was that in Rio?If so, I am not encouraged. It means that all those athletes and fans have gone back to their home countries from the city with the greatest incidence of Zika, not only in Brazil, but in the world. There is some question at what pointBrazilian authorities actually became aware of the disease.It is difficult to evaluate as the disease does not become apparent as rapidly as Ebola, for example.

Yes, other cities have problems. It is a matter of benefit/risk analysis-When the risk is a pandemic, disease/injury and death and the benefit is what?

You did, however, gloss over the Zika issue. It is known now.The real point is- what's going to be done. It really looks like it will be swept under the rug and rationalized away.

Government site? The CDC equivocated about Ebola and finally admitted it hadbeen wrong- primarily about the protective equipment and means of transmission.Look it up.Also, read up what has been going on in the IOC itself. Not exactly the vanguard of ethics one would hope for, given the noble goals of the Olympics.

Anon - there were games in Rio during the world cup. The world cup was conducted in 12 venues all around Brazil. I know the IOC isn't what it should be. I brought it up because of the discussion about moving the games, to show it is being discussed.

I don't envy the position of the athletes and everyone else involved in the summer games.

My intention was to say Brazil was chosen to host in Oct 2009, has hosted a major global sporting event with success and could support and meet the needs of the Olympics when the decision was made. And to say that Brazil is not the only country in the world with issues.

The issues now with Zika and recently impeaching their president are unfortunate and have wider consequences. Not denying or glossing over anything.

There are 306 participating and while there are other Olypmic venues, that doesn't change the additional complications of trying to move the games at essentially is the last minute since there supposed to start in August. The amount of money involved is a huge consideration not only for sponsors but also for the host country. But I don't believe it's that simple either. There's a lot of logistics as well.

In the photo of Kate holding the white lily, notice the expression of the little girl in the photo. Not the little girl with the flower in her hair or the little girl in the blue t-shirt but the little girl with the red shoulder strap. That speaks volumes doesn't it? Tell me we as girls don't love princesses.

I love that photo Anon 12:52! And I can relate to it - I'm 60+ and I still love princesses! But of course I'm partial to Kate and tiny, beautiful Princess Charlotte. I really like the expression on the mom's face too - as she looks at her daughter (with the blue flower head band) they will never forget this meeting!

Thanks for pointing that out! I think Kate is very aware of how much she is looked up to and probably wants to try extra hard to be a good example not only for Princess Charlotte but for all those little girls out there that look at her with faces like that. So sweet, so much awe and joy! ;)

This is probably a silly question to ask, but I'm taking my daughter to London this coming WE (from France!) and wondered if there could be any chance at all to actually see the Duke and Dutchess on their way to the Olympic Park... and where and what time. I know it's a lot of questions in one!

There is a website for Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park if you google it. It gives details of how to get there. Apparently public transport is the best way to go. Maybe someone who lives in UK can help with details of time etc.

Where was the first place Charles and Diana took Prince Harry on tour? I ask because Kate and William have been following "tradition" so far, by taking George on his first tour to Australia, the same way William went there on his first tour. Perhaps the first tour on which they will bring both George and Charlotte will be the same location as for Charles and Diana's first tour as a family of four?

I checked it out, Anon, and their first tour as a family of four was to Italy in 1985. I do think George and Charlotte would have a lot of fun if they came to Canada. I am Canadian, so I may be slightly biased. :)

Looking back on the dresses of the Indian tour I think the winners of each section stood out as has been confirmed from the voting and the general standard was very high with only the odd one not being very appealing. Having had some computer problems over the last 10 days I have only now caught up on the older posts but would like to make an observation over the Vogue photos which I only saw yesterday. Personally I liked them not what one expected but I feel the right decision was made featuring the Duchess in the setting she is clearly happiest with and showing her as the person she really is and having read the article in vogue and seen the other photos it puts everything in perspective. There was comparatively little criticism I am sure that if she had been photographed in glamorous dresses every thing would have scrutinised and commented on in minute detail and no doubt a lot of it not very favourably. I particularly liked the photo of her in the red striped top leaning on the gate.On her day of engagements I thought she looked happy and relaxed and it was lovely seeing her in the attractive pink dress from the Australian tour when she visited the Vogue exhibition.It would seem that she has no engagements this week although William has several however I expect they will attend one of the performances of the concert at Windsor possibly on Sunday as it was said a few weeks ago that the Queen and some senior Royals would attend on the final night. I see that the next Royal Garden party takes place on the 19th May she usually attends one so maybe we will see her then and I wonder if William might attend if he does it will be for the first time. I look forward to seeing her with William and Harry on the 16th May Harry is certainly working very hard and the Invictus Games seem to be going well. Understandably he is very popular he is so open and sincere but judging from the very frank interview he gave becoming rather upset by the constant press intrusion into his private life it must be difficult for him. I think William was very fortunate meeting Kate at University and having the opportunity to have the time really getting to know a girl without constant press harassment that came later and did effect their relationship but it survived

While I know that Kate's style is the most important thing for her admirers, I'm betting that she and William go for substance IF they do undertake a tour. Canada seems the most likely choice and Fort MacMurray, the Alberta town about 300 miles northwest of Slave Lake, where they viewed the aftermath of wildfires during their first tour to Canada, sustained serious damage with many homes being lost, in wildfires the past few weeks. There's very terrifying YouTube video of residents fleeing for their lives as the flames soared overhead. In addition, Canada's new young prime minister, Justin Trudeau, is as popular (or more so) as the royal family so I'm sure they want to get in on some of that good will. Canada is familiar and friendly territory and would only require a few days' visit vs. other locations, South America, for example, that are a longer trip and so would require more time. And if that should be the case, she probably won't be trotting out the tiaras for the visit. Hard to talk to people who have lost their homes and belongings, who are living as refugees, for all intents and purposes, with Granny's chips pinned to your shiny locks.

Elizabeth, I didn't follow Diana because of fashion, nor do I follow Kate for this reason. I am very happy to see W&K live the public, and private, life Diana could only dream of. Their marriage and public roles are the roadmap Diana dreamed of for herself, and wanted for her sons.

I read Harry's comments about dating, and how if he even talks to a woman, the press has them married, and people are knocking on her door. It must be just awful to be in the glare of that gold fish bowl. No wonder he is paranoid.

I just saw a headline in the Telegraph that the Queen was caught on camera criticizing the "rude" Chinese diplomats. They mentioned it was the same day that David Cameron told HM that Nigeria and Afghanistan were two of the most corrupt countries. Which of course they are.

Apparently there are other reports of the Chinese acting rudely. There was the 15 year old Chinese tourist who (are you ready for this?) etched his name on one of the ancient Egyptian reliefs in Luxor, the Chinese tourists who washed their feet in the fountain of the Louvre, and the Chinese airline passenger who threw water in an attendant's face. They apparently now have a sign in Chinese that says no going potty (words to that effect) at the fountain at the Louvre. The sign is not in any other language. For the Queen to have made comments of the Chinese contingency involved in the state visit, it must have been a significant faux pas or she most likely would not even have been made aware of it. Not knocking the Chinese, just taking up for the Queen, I guess.

Thank you Charlotte for the pools. All of my choices were no1 except the casual look... greatOh yess the queen's official birthday celebrations will be on the way... how much fun and enjoyment there will be... i think we would see kate and william on the final night with the Queen. And how nice there is another overseas tour for kate and william.. i wish they brought George and Charlotte with them... and i don't really think that they will travel Brazil for Olympics. But it would be great fun to see them... as for the last Olympics i didn't know kate at that time but seeing her this time would be a treat. Ad for heads together its a very good opportunity for them to express their feelings and thoughts about this very important mental health issue.p.s where are you rebbeca? faiza, Pakistan

I was looking at Kate's calendar and saw that Trooping the Colour is on 11 June. I presume the three Musketeers will all be there. Kate will be in the carriage with Camilla. William will be in uniform riding in the procession as Colonel of the Irish Guards. I have been wondering why Harry doesn't ride in the parade as part of the Queen's Life Guards? Does anyone know?

It's because Harry isn't assigned as a Colonel of any of the household guards. (I think I got all the titles and names right). So it's simply because he doesn't have any position in the military that has a place there :) Just like Andrew and Edward dont. Anne, Charles, Phillip and William do. Before William got his he was in the carriage as well :)

Hi charlotte! The colors have been changed. The home button is green which appears on the top when i open your website. The other home button in bottom is red. Every commentator's name also appears in red. I am using Samsung note 3 and also this occurs in i6 plus.Faiza, Pakistan

So I've been having dreams about Prince Harry for the last 2 nights. The first night I was a part of his entourage but last name dream He was on Jeopardy and when Alex Trebek was talking with him. Instead of a funny antidote he just showed his awesome are muscles. That's all that I remember were his awesome muscles. It was a good dream. I thought you lovely ladies may appreciate my dream :)

Thank You Paola! I am still very early pregnant,only 6 weeks, so it'll be a while before we know what we are having. I would love a boy though. Before I even told my son and daughter they were arguing what they wanted to have, they wanted a baby for a while now. He is 10 and she is 4. He wants a brother and she wants a sister. After I told them, my son said "Since I already have 2 little sisters, I think I would like a brother but baby girls are cute so I'll be happy either way." I think I have to agree with him :)

I enjoyed that photo of the little girl who was so mesmerized by Kate. They were all enjoying her gracefulness and warmth. Very nice.

And, I just discovered the Duchess Kate Tracker. I love it. There really is such a thing and what an enrichment, in my opinion. No more guessing and trying to put it altogether whenever we all get into "those" debates, it is already done and very nicely. I think it complements this blog perfectly. I don't have to be a statistician. You have no idea how relieved that makes me. lol

I really question that she will have another child. The DOC has said he wanted two children and as difficult as the first three months of her pregnancy are I doubt he would want her to go through that again.

The Duchess Kate Tracker certainly simplifies things. Thanks for letting us know about that. I was going to say it is weird that people keep track of her activities like that but then I thought about how they so meticulously keep track of football players performance statistics so I guess it isn't that strange.They do that tracker type thing for the other royals also, don't they?

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